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East Wall Gang [graphic]

Title

East Wall Gang [graphic]

Date

1932-09-30

Description

TIFF;Digital image created from copy negative. View of the prison grounds at the Colorado State Pentientiary in Canon City, Colorado; shows work crew on top of the wall as they work; wall on right side foreground; scaffolding in center of photo; railroad tracks in middle of photo running from foreground to background; piles of rocks, wood, etc in foreground; tower in left background; written in lower right corner: "East Wall Gang"; and in upper right corner: "9-30-32". Roy Phelix Best (1900-1954) was Special Deputy Warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary prior to being appointed warden by Governor William Adams in mid-1932. Best came to Canon City after the destructive prison riots of 1929. He was given the responsibility of replacing almost the entire physical plant. He has been given credit for rebuilding the buildings at minimal cost to taxpayers. He also created a nationally respected industrial system which employed most of the prisoners under his care. His overall policy was "discipline without tryanny" and "No work, no play". This album of 111 black and white photographs is part of a collection of prison- related manuscript materials recovered from their storage in a tunnel under the prison buildings. The photographs document construction and activities of the prison during the first two years of Roy Best's time as warden. 1 negative : ill. b&w ; 5 in. x 4 in. 1 original : ill. b&w ; 9 7/8 in. x 3 3/8 in. (25.2 cm x 8.6 cm)